From Ice to Water
by it's simply me
Summary: Trying to kill your best friend does strange things to you, which Hinamori realized. Strange things like falling in love with them. But love, she soon finds out, is more complicated than just pretty words.
1. At Sword End

**A/N: So I have recently fallen into an addiction involving our favorite tenth division captain, and so HitsuHina as well. I'm basically going to add chapters as I read through the manga (which I have almost completed.) **

**This won't really be that long. 6-7 chapters. So read and tell me what you think. I could just leave it as a one-shot...but I probably won't. So read, anyway. ^_~**

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**From Ice to Water**

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_"And the man who is behind this, is Toshiro Hitsugaya."_

All sorts of thoughts sped through her head as she watched from a distance as the two captains neared each other. Hidden in the shadows, all she did was observe. It looked as if the shorter of the white-haired shinigami was advancing, taking the first move. All she could see from here was his wild white hair, but she knew his features well, and right about now, his turquoise eyes would be alight with flame. She loved them when they were like that.

She had spent her whole life with that specific soul reaper, and that just brought the severity of the situation crashing down on her all over again. She couldn't believe it. She'd thought she'd known him, understood him unlike any other, and yet, this happened.

_'Aizen said so, remember that, Aizen said so, and he can't be wrong.' _She chanted to herself, thinking of the letter her dead captain had left her. And she leapt out of the encasing shadows in between the two captains, her back facing Toshiro.

"Mo-" she heard him start, but quickly corrected himself. "Hinamori! Don't fight him!" she heard him say, in that voice she had known for so long, which was now overflowing in what she knew was care.

Glancing ahead of her, she spotted the other shinigami there; Gin Ichimaru. He had always been a mystery to her. The biggest unknown to her in the entire soul society, and she had always been social. It wasn't that she didn't get along with him. Oh no, it was practically the opposite. When he talked, it had this underlying tone she could never figure out, unlike Toshiro's, who, as much as he tried to hide it, always spoke from the heart. And of course, Gin's uncanny smile, that only shrank and grew but never disappeared. There was something about him she couldn't quite understand. But he was not of her concern right now.

"I'll take care of him," her childhood friend continued. "You just lea-"

He stopped and for good reason. Momo even felt Gin jump up a little at her sudden move. She kept her eyes firmly on the lining of the 10th division's captain's coat. If she looked up, at his face, his eyes, and saw the confusion and betrayal, she wouldn't be able to bear it. Not from those eyes. So she pointed her soul cutter at him, an inch from his neck, forcing away the stinging at her eyes and held her ground.

"You killed captain Aizen," she said. "Murderer."

"…Hinamori…." Tears brimmed her eyes as he said it, his sincere voice coated with confusion and shock. Something that she expected. She kept her eyes fixed on the blade of her sword, not wanting to make eye contact, because that would be her downfall.

She still couldn't believe Toshiro had killed him. She couldn't believe he was plotting to destroy peace of the soul society. She didn't understand any of it. He had always loved life here. He loved the company in the society, the peace kept by shinigami, the lifestyle of him and his friends. To think that he would throw it all away, and – more tears brimmed her eyes, about to fall – kill a captain. His colleague. She blinked and a tear rolled down her cheek. In fact it didn't seem possible. She straightened. Yes, something wasn't right, he couldn't have possibly done what Aizen said he had.

_'No,'_ she thought. _'Captain Aizen was always right. Toshiro _has _to be a traitor.'_

Bitter anger filling her again, she pressed the blade against the soft skin of his neck. He tensed, though it wasn't because of the sudden coolness of the blade. His skin had always been pleasantly cool, Hinamori recalled. It sent strange feelings through her, pleasant feelings, that she simply defined as 'Toshiro's touch'. No, he had probably stiffened because it had sunk in that she really was bent on killing him.

And then she made eye contact.

She knew that if there ever would be hesitation, it would be because of this. The intensity of his gaze, the sheer capacity he was capable of holding within those deep pools of turquoise. They reflected hurt, at her turning on her best friend. She felt it too. They showed confusion, shock, hesitation and fear. No, not fear for himself, for he never feared for himself. But fear for her, that something was wrong with her. And maybe there was, maybe she shouldn't –

_'NO!' _She yelled at herself as she once again found doubt at what she was doing. _'Aizen is right. He's always right!' _Toshiro was a genius, and it probably didn't take much for a genius to slowly weave his plot undetected. Therefore Aizen must be right.

Another tear fell. Then she spoke.

She told the object of her inner turmoil all of what Aizen had written in the letter. She told him, and Gin, of the plot Aizen had discovered, that the terminal duo contained power beyond comprehension, and that to obtain it, Toshiro was willing to go to any length. She told them of how Aizen had asked to meet him, and then, the obvious outcome. A third tear fell.

"That's really what Aizen wrote?" He asked quietly. As if the words held deep accusation. He truly was a fantastic actor.

"Yes," she choked out, trying to steady the tremble in her voice. "And he ended by writing 'if I die, Hinamori, inherit my will and kill him.'" Her hand shook, lightly stabbing the exposed part of his neck. She closed her eyes, unable to stop talking or to block out the hurt in Toshiro's eyes, and continued in a whisper. "'This is my last wish, not as the Captain of the 5th division, but as a man, pleading for help….'"

This was it. She drew in a deep breath. Now was the time, when there was no eye contact with that pair of beautiful eyes, when her mind was clogged with despair. Now was the time to kill her best friend.

With a loud cry, she charged at him, barely noticing the airiness of Ichimaru's spiritual energy, almost as if he was happy. Through tear-glazed eyes, she caught his widened eyes. But of course he dodged it. He was probably ten times stronger than she ever was.

"You idiot!" She heard him yell, surprised that she felt slightly saddened by his wordrs. "Do you really think Aizen would write something like that? The Aizen I know wouldn't walk head on into an uncertain battle!" He yelled. She swung at him, and he nimbly dodged it again. "Nor would he ask his subordinates to do it for him!"

She hesitated, tears running endlessly down her face. "But- but that's what it said! It has to be true!" She yelled back, knowing full well how feeble her argument seemed compared to his. She swung again, missing completely.

"The letter was probably forged, or changed." Perfect words, perfect logic, coming out of a perfect mouth.

"It was his handwriting! Definitely!" Stupid answer, from a stupid delusional being.

Another swing.

"I don't want to believe it either!" She choked out, looking at him compassionately. "But Captain Aizen wrote it! I have to do this for him!" she charged at him as he landed meters away. She stopped in front of him, panting, sobbing. "I – I don't know what to do anymore….." she paused, looking at his face. "Toshiro."

With that heartfelt statement, she slammed all her might into her cutter and brought it down, fully aware of his cold reiatsu travelling upwards as he dodged again. She panted for a while, catching her breath, barely listening to things around her. She barely heard Toshiro yell at Gin, and she leapt at him again, fully intent on meeting him half-way there.

She saw him flinch, and she knew why. They were in the air, and were on a direct collision course. She had her blade fully raised, determined on finishing this with one blow. She knew that he was a captain, and if she had been anyone else at that moment, she knew he wouldn't have hesitated to defend himself. But she also knew he would never purposefully hurt her. He had always been too caring of her.

_'I'm sorry, Toshiro.' _She thought as she locked eyes with him for what she thought would be the last time.

But then she froze. She had known, deep down, that she'd never be able to carry this out fully. Anybody else, then perhaps. But Toshiro? Never. She was unable to hurt him, just as he was unable to hurt her. She swung at him, because she knew he could dodge. She threatened him, because she knew he was indifferent. But to wipe him off of this world was like killing herself. She couldn't survive if she knew that she'd never see him again. And more so when she knew it was her who killed him. As cliché as it sounded. It was at that moment, when her dark eyes landed on his intelligent ones, that her perspective changed entirely.

It was at that moment that she realized that she had fallen more deeply in love with Toshiro Hitsugaya than she had with anyone else before.

And it was in that moment of hesitation that her grip faltered and her angle changed. Her blade scraped against his arm, and then she almost immediately collided with him. In the next few seconds, all she comprehended was a flood of warmth and a blissful moment that all her mourning over Aizen was forgotten and engulfed with nothing other than Toshiro.

Then she was falling, and the last thing she remembered before her world went black was that maybe, just maybe, Aizen _had _got it wrong.

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	2. Pursuit

Ok, so here's the update. Basically this chapter, and the next...two I think, are gonna be cannon-ish chapters circling the Hitsugaya parts in the manga, but from a different perspective. I don't particularly like this chapter, but I think it's important in establishing sime of Hinamori's reactions in the future.

So read on and tell me what you think, okay?

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Pursuit

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Hinamori followed leaders of squad 10. She did not know where they were going, nor did she find it in her mind to, at that moment, care. Her mind was in an inner turmoil. It was the strangest, most uncomfortable situation she had ever had the displeasure of being involved in. She was divided; between her former Captain, who had been there for her as long as she could remember after entering the Gotei 13, and Toshiro, the young, bright shinigami she had known even earlier.

One of them had lied to her. One of them was telling the truth. And right now, she didn't know who that was. She wanted to believe Toshiro wasn't lying to her – if he was, it would definitely be the first. But then at the same time, she didn't want Aizen to have been lying to her, because that would mean the man she admired most had miscalculated. And it would mean he wasn't all that.

_'But then Hitsugaya…'_ she thought as her eyes followed him as he turned a corner hastily, his loyal vice-captain following in his wake. She jumped the next roof to keep them in sight. If Aizen was right, that meant Hitsugaya was a traitor. That was something she just couldn't compute. Toshiro Hitsugaya and traitor just didn't _belong _in the same sentence! She bit her tongue from letting out a distressed cry. What did all these emotions _mean?_

She had only recently woken up, in a daze, and noticed she was in her division's infirmary. Then the memories had come flowing back, in a jumble, and after taking a few minutes to sort them out, she finally remembered. Aizen's death, Ichimaru, her attacking Kira and … her attacking Toshiro. Him being a suspect to plotting the destruction of the Soul Society.

And her falling in love with the child prodigy.

Hinamori drew in a low breath, continuing her pursuit of the leaders of the 10th division. She still wasn't sure about that. Was it even love? And what kind of love? Since when had these subconscious feelings begun? How did he compare to Aizen in her mind? Was he worth it? Were either of them worth it? Many other questions plagued her mind, bringing her close to a migraine. For now, in order to rid herself of this confusion, she would try to wipe out emotions.

Suddenly she picked up a reiatsu, carefully sealed, but unsteadily held, not far off. She drew near it and spotted a flash of pale blond; it was unmistakably Kira. He had never been as good as concealing himself as she had been. She stared at him. He was a few streets away from Toshiro, seemingly taking a longer route to the same destination as the young captain.

Why was he here? Had Ichimaru sent him? Was _he _really the one who had killed Aizen? No, but Aizen had said it was Toshiro. She drew in a short breath. But the fact remained that Kira was clearly following the pair as well. Was he ordered to …hurt them? Hinamori narrowed her eyes. If he so much as thought of laying a finger on _her _Shiro-chan, then she'd…

Suddenly Kira looked up and locked eyes with her. Her breath hitched. Could he sense her sudden desire to rip him apart limb from limb? Because she was willing to believe Aizen had mistakenly blamed Toshiro, when the actual criminal was Gin, and therefore, Kira. She was willing to believe anything if it meant her best friend hadn't deceived her.

She narrowed her eyes, steeled her shaky determination and shunpo'd over to where Kira was. He looked very slightly surprised, as if he knew that she was thinking of meeting him here but just didn't have the guts.

"What are you doing, Kira?" she asked bluntly, left hand fingering the hilt of her blade. He eyed her wearily.

"I could ask you the same thing." He replied. "Aren't you supposed to be resting."

Hinamori ignored the obvious attempt at a change of topic. "If you do anything to Toshiro, or Rangiku, I'll hunt you down." She snarled.

"Aren't you doing just that to them?" he quipped and she sent him a heated glare. He sighed. "Captain Gin ordered me here. I can't tell you what for, but it was on a basis to-"

He stopped as Hinamori drew her sword and pointed it directly under his chin. She fought off the déjà vu that she had done the exact same thing with Toshiro, but on completely different emotional levels. This time, she wouldn't hesitate to hurt Kira, even though he was a close friend.

"If you do _anything_ to them, _I will kill you._" she hissed, her blade brushing his dry skin. She saw him open his mouth slightly, probably to reply, but she intensified her glare, warning him that if the wrong thing came out, she would show him just how well she cared for her zanpakuto. He closed his mouth.

"Very well," he said finally, after a long, contemplating silence. "I promise I won't do anything to them." she looked at him doubtfully. "I swear on my life."

She eyed him a while longer, sizing him down. She held eye contact with him unwaveringly, to show that she meant business. If he so much as thought of breaking his vow, she'd hunt him down like the Gin-slave he was. After a moment of staring at him, and him shooting her apologetic looks which she ignored, she finally lowered her sword.

"You know what will happen if you don't keep your promise." She stated.

He nodded, shot her a soft look she didn't quite understand, then looked away and started his pace again. She leapt back up on a roof and easily traced down Toshiro's cool reiatsu. It calmed her slightly, feeling that reiatsu. She started towards them again. Honestly, even when there were intruders who were very capable of fighting, he didn't bother hiding his reiatsu. At least Matsumoto was making a slight effort. But she was secretly glad he wasn't.

The recent conversation flicked back into her mind. It bothered her, because as strictly as she had threatened Kira, she was doing that very thing. Aizen had basically told her to kill her best friend. She was no better than her very first squad partner. She was basically acting as an avenger to her captain, following orders her captain had set for her. She would be a hypocrite if she scorned Kira for obeying Gin.

_'But Aizen is different.' _She said sternly in her mind. Yes, Aizen and Gin were not comparable with each other.

She spotted him, Kira, shoot ahead of the two, still unaware shinigami. Himanori creased her eyebrows. She still didn't know what this meant. What was Kira sent out here to do? She should have found out while she had the chance. Her eyes drifted back to Hitsugaya. He was so innocently oblivious to his pursuers. It almost made her stop and fall back. How could someone so trusting and seemingly loyal turn against something he had spent his whole life-

_'NO!' _she scolded herself for the fiftieth time. _'Aizen is RIGHT!'_ She shook herself, then nodded slightly. She had to make this a mission. 'Bar out Toshiro. Forget who he is to you. Forget what he means to you. Understand that he very well might kill you. Understand that you may have to kill him. At least try. Try to accept that Ichimaru Gin may be…an ally.'

So absorbed was she in her mission to erase Toshiro-related emotions that she didn't notice the two come to a halt. Nor did she realize which building they had stopped in front of. She didn't even notice when they raised their zanpakuto. Only when she heard the twang of breaking metal did she jump. And look up.

She had been led to the building of the Central Government 46. She stared at the immense building. She had never actually been inside it. No one had, it was off limits for anyone other than the 46 decision makers inside it. So why had Toshiro and Matsumoto just entered it? They were breaking and entering the one building off limits to the Gotei 13. Why? Why couldn't she figure him out? What business did he have here?

She jumped to the ground, in front of the door that the members of the 10th division had just entered. She stared at the door's lock which had been cut in two. It was so unlike Hitsugaya to break rules and enter a place so obviously off limits, when he so strictly abided by them. She took a step forward. She had to confront him, she had to sort out this mess. This time, she was willing to sit down and listen instead of blindly swinging at him. But if he had killed Aizen, she would kill him. Without hesitation. She would… wouldn't she?

She followed the barely present reiatsu of the two leading officers, walking through door after forced-open door, noting how eerily dark and silent everything was. Sure, she had never been in here, even when they were sometimes allowed, but she had never expected it to seem so…intimidating. Now she couldn't even sense the two other beings she had followed. _'Oh Toshiro, where are you?'_ she wailed in her head, hoping she wouldn't get lost. If she wasn't already.

Then she reached the first properly lit room. The largest room she had ever seen before, something that was so clearly grand and organized she knew she was undoubtedly at the centre of the building. She was in the room where the 46 most powerful men in Soul Society sentenced shinigami anywhere to whatever sentence they thought suited. Once they made a decision, it was final, and would not be influenced or changed by anyone, not even the captains. Those 46 powerful men were now lying dead in their seats.

Hinamori blinked. The law of the entire society had just been killed. She leaned heavily against the post. "Wh-What happened here?" she mumbled to herself dazedly. "All the members of the central chamber … are … dead…" Her eyes drifted around the room, the smell of copper and iron, the smell of blood, overflowing her senses. All of the souls had been brutally slaughtered.

"…the blood is dry…" a voice echoed around the room. A calculating voice Hinamori knew only too well. "It's even turned black and it flakes… They must have been dead for at least two days."

Toshiro and Matsumoto were already on the scene. The lieutenant was standing in clear shock a few steps from her captain. She didn't seem like she could hear him. Hinamori would have smiled if the situation wasn't so grotesque. It was just like Toshiro to go into genius-mode whenever he walked upon a crime scene. And his observation skills and ability to quickly put two and two together never ceased to amaze her. He was probably better at this than Aizen…

"All fake!"

Hinamori snapped up out of her thoughts at his sudden exclamation. She looked at the white-haired captain just in time for her to see him bang his fist with the table surface. All fake? What was he talking about? Clearly he had been thinking in his head, carefully analyzing the situation through in his mind. He probably realized his vice-captain wasn't paying him attention. It just made her wonder what conclusion he had reached.

Suddenly she felt the same reiatsu she felt earlier and looked across the expense of the room to see the shadowy figure she recognized as Kira. What was he here for?

"I thought you would be here." He said. "Captain Hitsugaya."

Hinamori froze. He wouldn't hurt him. He had promised. He had promised he wouldn't lay a finger on Toshiro. And why had he gone through the trouble of going all the way around the building to the opposite gate? Was Ichimaru behind Kira's strange behavior? Probably. It wouldn't surprise her, Toshiro had warned her against him after all. Or maybe he had been lying. Because Aizen said he was a traitor, and that would mean he had lied on more than one occasion to her. Something inside Hinamori hurt at the thought.

"Kira!" The young captain's voice was full of surprise. "It can't be! Did you do this?" Hinamori doubted it. Kira was too much of a chicken to do anything other than what his orders were. But what if his orders had been this? There was a tense silence, and she could have sworn Kira's eyes momentarily flickered onto hers. Then he took off.

"After him Matsumoto!" Toshiro yelled almost immediately, already chasing after him.

"Yes sir!" his subordinate quickly followed after him, and before long the room was left with a ringing silence. And once again, Hinamori lost herself within her thoughts.

"Hitsugaya was… surprised." She thought aloud. Indeed, the captain had seemed quite shaken with the whole event. Surely if he had done this, he wouldn't have acted like that, especially since he didn't know he was being watched. And Matsumoto, who should be in with him whatever his decision, seemed equally as surprised.

"Then Kira showed up…" she continued. "And Toshiro chased after him." Why _did _he chase after him? Had Kira been a witness to something, and Toshiro wanted to make sure Kira didn't leak information? But that seemed a little too drastic, even if Toshiro was the criminal mastermind Aizen made him out to be.

"What's going on?!" she exclaimed quietly. It didn't make any sense to her. "If Hitsugaya killed Aizen, then did he also do this…?" her eyes scanned the room-turned-morgue, then finally landed on the door the trio had just left out from. "Or was it Kira…? …But then Hitsugaya….? …And what about Captain Aizen….?"

Suddenly she felt a presence behind her, a reiatsu unlike the gently cold of Toshiro or the strange brush-like texture of Kira's. Or Matsumoto's airy one. This one was heavy and foreboding and promised deceit and lies.

"Welcome," She heard Ichimaru Gin's voice reverberate in her right ear. "Hinamori."

X-X-X-X-X-X

Hinamori followed the long white haori that belonged to Captain Ichimaru of the 3rd division. She had her guard up, and was twitchy at every little thing. The white-haired shinigami had told her many times to 'calm down' and that 'she could trust him'. All with that eerie smile of his. She resisted a shiver. She had never liked Gin.

He opened a door, and she suddenly realized they were in a new area, one with fresh air and a different layout. She had only seen pictures of the surrounding architecture, but she immediately recognized what it was.

"This is the Seijoutou-kyourin, the residential district for the 46 Chamber members." She quoted perfectly from memory. She looked uncertainly at the man who still had his back to her. "Why did you bring me here, Captain Ichimaru."

"Have you ever been here, Hinamori?" he asked. She was well aware that he had avoided her question, but she replied nonetheless.

"No way!" She replied. "Isn't this place completely off limits to everyone? This is the first time I've seen it!"

They both entered the room, which was completely dark save for the blast of sunlight entering through the open door. "There's somebody who wants to meet you." He said suddenly.

"Someone wants to meet me?"

"That's right, turn around."

She did so, noting a shadowy figure in the doorway. She turned and her eyes widened. Her breath hitched. Her heart beat sped up. Her hands became sweaty. All at once. There was her so-called dead captain, tall, proud and just as she remembered.

It didn't occur to her that it was strange for him to suddenly appear out of nowhere. It didn't occur to her that something was clearly wrong with the entire situation. It didn't occur to her that Gin's smile had suddenly broadened tenfold. It didn't occur to her that this very possibly might not be her Captain, but an imposter. She took a step forward. In the darkest depths of her mind it registered that he wasn't dead, therefore Toshiro hadn't killed him, making Aizen wrong, and in turn a liar who had accused someone of a horrible crime.

But that was a part of her mind completely forgotten as overwhelming joy clouded her sensing, bringing immediate tears to her eyes, as she took step after step closer to her beloved role-model. "Cap…Captain…Captain Ai…Captain Aizen…"

"It's been a while, Hinamori." He said.

"But…but…you were dead… I thought…" she worded, reaching towards her captain, desperate to be near him.

"Well, as you can see, I'm alive." He replied. clutching at him, grabbing at his haori. She looked at him through teary eyes. A large smile broke her teary face. It was him. Definitely. His voice, his touch, his smell, his aura, everything was as it should be. She couldn't talk anymore, so she'd let him do it. "I'm sorry for worrying you, Hinamori." She burst into tears at that. He had no idea what an emotional rollercoaster the last few days had been.

"You look even more frail than before," he continued. "I'm sorry for making you suffer this much. But I hope you can understand; there was something I had to do without you. That's why I had to hide myself from you. That's why I had to fake my death. You-"

"It's okay." Hinamori choked out. "It's alright. You are alive and that's enough. That's enough…

"Thank you, Hinamori, I'm truly glad to have you as my subordinate… thank you. Thank you so much."

Hinamori smiled. She felt so warm. Warmer than she'd felt in a long time. She felt complete, at peace. Because her Captain had returned! Now everything would return to how it was supposed to be. Life would return to normal. She would apologize to Toshiro. She would spend more time with him. And any problems she would once again be able to share with Aizen. She leaned into him. Yes, soon everything would be-

"Goodbye."

Her eyes widened as a white hot pain shot through her abdomen. With great effort, she looked down to see the clean blade of her captain now sticking through her and splattered with her own blood. She slowly felt her control over her arms and legs falter and her grip weaken. She looked up again, trying to ignore her screaming nerves. Her brown eyes met cold, unmerciful ones of someone else. It took her another moment to realize they belonged to Aizen.

"…this…can't be…" she quietly said, feeling her legs give out and she hit the floor, once again falling into a world of black.

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	3. Passing Weeks

**I knew the previous chapter wasn't too good, but come on! Only 2 people reviewed****! It wasn't _that _bad, was it? *sigh* But I don't really blame you, that chapter bore-dified me as well, Lol! But thanks to KnowledgeandImagination and red-strawberrii for reviewing. Thanks, you guys made my day!**

**So anyway, read this, and see what you think. It's long, I know, and not so good either...but this time tell me what you think, k? XD And why you didn't like it, if that's the case, so I can help you like it! K?**

**Oh, and the Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach I would tell you why I called it that...but maybe Tite Kubo _has_ told us that****, so just forget it. Point is, I don't own it.**

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Passing Weeks

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She had been staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. For the longest time, she couldn't remember how she had gotten there, or why the room looked so empty, cold and sterile. She couldn't place the fact of why it seemed that her life had suddenly become meaningless; that something had gone, something drastic had happened.

Then she shot up, remembering suddenly, but clutched her abdomen as a searing pain swept over it. The bandages seemed recently changed, but through them showed a slight stain of blood. And she felt her heart break all over again. This was a large wound Aizen had given her. Her dear Captain. Her eyes welled over with tears. Never in a million years had she thought he would do something like that to her. She had trusted him, admired and respected him to such a degree… she paused in her thoughts for a moment… to such a degree she had believed him; so much so that she was willing to turn against her life-long friend, just at his word.

She felt so stupid, so abominably, pathetically stupid. She was so desperate to be acknowledged, so desperate to be loved by someone, to be needed by someone. Hinamori had thought Aizen had given that to her, that he was the first who had given that to her, but … she paused again as a sudden thought occurred to her.

Ichimaru Gin.

Of course. It was so simple, so obvious. It must be him. He was the one who sent Kira to distract the 10th division from the crime scene. He was the one who had let the ryoka survive. He was the one who had led her out of the Government 46 and into that empty residence building. He was the one whom Toshiro had been suspicious about in the first place. And she knew, first hand, that Toshiro was never wrong.

Therefore Gin must be the one behind this. He must have somehow flung Aizen into his web, and probably was telling Aizen of a different motive. Her captain must be searching for something and thought Gin was the path to it. Gin, though, was probably promising him one thing, but doing another. Sure, Aizen wasn't completely in the right, but it did help prove the point that he wasn't fully evil. Hinamori perked up, ignoring the pain. Yes, Aizen was still on her side, he was just dedicated to his work, and he was willing to follow Gin to do it. She managed a small smile. Now that she thought of it, Aizen probably wanted her to find this out. He probably knew that she would still believe in him. He was relying on her. She felt an immense sense of pride fill her up. Wait until she told Toshiro.

"Well, look who finally woke up."

Hinamori turned to look at the only doorway. The captain of the fourth squad, Retsu Unohana, was looking at her with a warm, gentle smile, and Momo smiled back, in a good mood. The medical expert walked towards her, taking off her haori and hanging it on a nearby hook.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, walking closer to check her bandages.

"Not too bad." she replied, still a little confused as to why Aizen would hurt her so badly. She shrugged it off. He was probably meant to kill her, but let her live on purpose. She was snapped out of her thoughts when a sudden pain shot through her. She winced.

"So it hurts when I do that?" the doctor asked, and Momo nodded. Unohana waited a moment, as if calculating something, then stood up and grabbed a thermometer. "You have greatly improved though. I'm pleased to see you're healing well. You seem calmer too. Captain Hitsugaya was saying you were constantly restless while sleeping. I do not blame you though. Losing someone as close as Aizen was to you-"

"Toshiro was here?" Hinamori cut in, thinking of how embarrassing it must have been to be seen in such a state.

"Yes, he was in the same ward as you. That bed over there, to be precise." Unohana pointed, and Momo stared. The same ward? That bed? What had happened?

"Why, was he hurt?" she asked, almost too concernedly.

Unohana smiled softly, cleaning a syringe. "Didn't you know? You were both around the same area when I found you, so I assumed you knew what happened."

"No, I don't. Was he hurt?" Momo continued breathlessly.

"I don't know the whole story, but when I found you, you had a hole from between your stomach and liver, running all the way out through the back. The weapon missed your organs by mere millimeters. It's a miracle you're still alive." Another kind smile was directed at her.

"And Toshiro?"

"He had a severely deep cut running from his right shoulder, straight down. I had to operate immediately. It took quite a while longer than yours." A horrified look crossed Hinamori's face. Unohana sent her a reassuring look. "He is now alright. He is incredibly strong and recovered quite quickly. He wasn't made captain for nothing." A silence erupted between them as Hinamori exhaled in relief. He was alright. She could see him. Would see him, after she was released. And apologize to him. And hug him, because she hadn't done that in a while.

"He had used his Bankai," Unohana stated suddenly.

Hinamori blinked. "What?"

The black-haired woman gave her a grave look. "When I found you, I found Aizen at the scene as well. While talking to him, I realized he had placed a hypnotizing technique on everyone who had seen his corpse."

Hinamori's eyes widened. "Yes, that means you were probably under the influence of it as well. He did not say much else, and left before we could do anything. I did not give chase because of the critical conditions the both of you were in. But the entire hall and grounds were covered in water and ice, everything from the pillars to the grass. Clearly, it was the melted state of Captain Hitsugaya's ice bankai. He had probably fought a battle and lost."

Momo remained speechless for a while. What did this all mean then? Had Toshiro attacked Aizen? Or was it vice versa, and Toshiro had gone defensive? Was it Gin? Had Gin interfered with Toshiro as well? Or was it someone else entirely. But it couldn't have been. No one else would have threatened him so much as for him to feel the need to use his bankai. And no one other than another captain had the strength to take on Toshiro at his full power.

"He was probably protecting you." Unohana said suddenly. "Clearly he arrived after you'd been knocked out, since you don't remember him coming. He obviously knew you were in danger, and so lashed out. Of course, he is severely inexperienced when it comes to Aizen, him being the newest captain in our ranks. He was also probably under Aizen's hypnotism. Captain Hitsugaya had probably expected a water-type sword, and expected an advantage, but ended up with something much different."

"No, Aizen _does _have a water zanpakuto. I trained with him. I saw him use it." Hinamori said, in a daze about what she'd just heard.

"That was a part of his hypnosis. He tricked your senses into fooling you to see water coming out of his sword. It was all fake. He told me himself. Then he vanished. He also had Gin and Tousen under his ranks, meaning a loss of three captains to us... You seem surprised. The three are no longer in the Seretei."

"No, I don't believe this…" Hinamori breathed.

"But it is true. You must understand, Aizen tried killing many a captain, and we are lucky no one has died. He has shown incredible strength, and in order to defeat him, we will need-"

"Don't speak about him like he's the villain!" Hinamori yelled suddenly.

Unohana fixed a level gaze on her. "He has turned his back on us and does not intend on looking back. He _is _the villain."

"That's nonsense!" She snapped. "Aizen is still on our side."

"Hinamori, the Aizen you thought you knew was all an act. He was falsely behaving in a way-"

"No, it was real!" she cried cutting across again. The older woman simply blinked. "I know Aizen! I remember many things with him, I remember the way in which he treated me! He was kind, generous, patient, hard-working! I knew him more than anyone else! He cared for me, he understood me!"

"As does Captain Hitsugaya."

Hinamori froze. That was…her shoulders slumped after a moment's pause. That was undoubtedly true. He often said things that she was thinking, or beginning to think about, as if he knew what she was going to do. Her heart dropped. But that didn't apply to her. She didn't care for him as much as he did, at least she didn't show it. She cared for him, a lot, but never showed it. He would never try to hurt her, let alone kill her, no matter who'd told him. She felt a lump gather. She never understood him. She sometimes felt he was behind a glass wall, so she could see him, but never fully reach him. The wall was so fragile, that she was afraid to reach for him properly. She was afraid of what she would touch. Now that she thought of it, she never knew what was happening behind those entrancing eyes.

"The reason you are probably still alive," Unohana continued. "Is because he intervened. You are indebted to him. Aizen had him under control, and yet he fought."

_'But Aizen never had the power of hypnosis. He didn't have that ability! I know!' _Hinamori thought stubbornly.

"Hinamori, your former captain is a traitor." Hinamori flinched at the words. "I hope you realize that. I appreciate that this is hard for you, but you must understand, Aizen is no longer an ally. We are to combine against him. We are to bring him down. It will not be easy, as he has shown incredible power. It is not everyone that has the ability to enter Hueco Mundo-"

"_NO!" _Hinamori yelled. "It's not Aizen's fault! Gin! It's Gin, can't you see? He tricked him! He was planning this from the beginning! We should find a way to take _Gin _down, so Aizen will come back. He will come back, and everything will be the same again! It's not Aizen!"

Unohana simply looked at her sympathetically.

"It's not AIZEN!!" Hinamori screeched, taking the sympathetic look like another stab to the gut. "He was _not _like that, alright?"

Unohana was about to reply when her vice-captain, entered. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Captain, but patient no.136 is ready for the treatment. We are waiting on you."

"I'll be right there, Isane." The long-haired woman said, standing up. The other woman left and Unohana looked back down at Hinamori. "You get some rest, alright? These are tough times for you, and we want you to get better. We need all the fighting force we can."

Hinamori shot her a glare. There was no way she would fight against Aizen when he'd done nothing wrong. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you, okay?" So with a warm smile that Momo interpreted as cunning and a gentle touch to the shoulder, the female captain walked out of the room, with all the elegance and grace she had the entire time she was here.

Hinamori let out a childish snort, folded her arms and looked out the window. Like she would ever talk to her. That no-good Aizen-hater. The only one she wanted to talk with now was Toshiro.

* * *

"Where are you going?"

"Out." Hinamori gruffly replied, tying her belt more securely around her waist. She couldn't stand to be in the same room any more. Ever since her outburst yesterday, Unohana had been constantly coming in to 'check on her', or in other words 'to make sure she wasn't thinking about Aizen anymore.' Even her vice captain had checked in a few times. Like now. And she was sick of it.

"Out where?" Isane asked.

"I need some fresh air," she said, and attached her sheath to her belt, not at all in the mood for conversation.

"But you need to rest! Captain Unohana said-"

"I'm rested." Momo cut across her, then leapt to the window. "Don't follow me."

And before the gray haired woman could reply she jumped out of the building. She knew she would tell Unohana, but Hinamori couldn't find it in her being to care. She had had it with the stupid, clean walls. She was sick of the false smiles and expressions of concern. She was tired of people thinking she was suffering from some disease just because she still believed in Aizen. And she was tired of lying there so uselessly. She needed to talk to someone, and that someone was Toshiro.

She headed towards the tenth division barracks, a route she knew well. It hadn't been long since Toshiro had been appointed captain, maybe around thirty to forty years, nothing compared to the centuries that the other had been through. It made her proud, knowing that someone she had known, someone originally so lazy and unwilling to join the Gotei 13, had not only done just that, but risen to its highest ranks as well. She continued forward spirits slightly higher.

X-X-X-X-X

"Hey, Toshiro!" Momo banged on the closed doors. "Open up! It's me, Hinamori!"

There was no response. What was taking him so long? Had he fallen asleep doing paperwork or something? No, that was just too out of character. Maybe he didn't hear her? She would barge in there herself, but the doors were locked. She raised her fist again. Or maybe he just didn't want to see her? She furrowed her eyebrows. Well, she wouldn't hear of it. She wanted to be with him, and that was that.

"Toshiro!" She banged her fists harder. "You'd better open up soon or else-"

"Momo?"

Hinamori turned her head to see Kira. What was it with him and appearing out of nowhere? Her eyes hardened over slightly, remembering their last encounter. And the last time she'd seen him, he hadn't exactly invited her over for a tea party.

"What are you doing here Kira?"

"You're supposed to be resting." He said. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." She replied with slightly more force than necessary. But she was so fed up with people thinking she needed more time to 'heal' or whatever. She wasn't _that _weak. If Toshiro could recover in a couple of days, she could easily manage that in the two weeks she'd been hospitalized.

Kira shot her an uncertain look, but shrugged. "If you say so. Were you looking for Captain Hitsugaya?" he asked.

"Yes, and if he doesn't open up right now, I'll-"

"He's not in there." Kira cut in. Hinamori blinked.

"W-what?"

He dangled a bunch keys in her face. "He's been sent, along with his lieutenant, Renji, Rukia, Ikkaku and Yumichika, to the human world. He's been gone for almost week now. He's sent as reinforcement, and will probably only be back until the threat of …um… Aizen is gone." Kira said the last part quietly, probably thinking she would get upset by it. But Hinamori was hardly aware of the fact that he was even standing there.

Toshiro was gone? He'd been gone for a week? That meant that the moment he'd been healed, he'd set off on the mission. And he would be gone for a long while as well. Hinamori felt her breath shallow. This had never happened before. Aizen had always been there too, but sometimes he was sent on missions alone, and so she was left in charge for a while. But instead of feeling alone, she'd always have the company of Toshiro. He'd visit her, or she'd go see him, and they'd just spend time together. It never failed to calm her down. He had always been there. In fact, she didn't know a moment in the Soul Society where he _wasn't _there. He had become a solid pillar in her life, and now it had disappeared. And her floor was falling.

She suddenly felt weak. Oh so weak.

"Hinamori?" Kira asked. "I-I'm sorry if I said something wrong. I didn't mean it." She didn't reply, and that only worried him more. "What's wrong, Momo, do you want to lie down or something-"

"This is all _your fault!" _she burst at him suddenly.

"Huh?"

"If you had just kept _your _captain in line, then none of this would have happened!" She yelled. "Aizen would never have followed _him, _he would never have hurt me or Toshiro! He wouldn't be posing as the threat you think he is!" She breathed in deeply. "And Toshiro wouldn't be _gone!_"

"H-He isn't dead, Momo, he's just-"

"I. Don't. Care!" she yelled. "He's gone all the same, isn't he? He's never been gone before! He's always been here, in there, doing his stupid paperwork, barely listening to me when I talked to him, but he was always _there! _And now I just… there's no one…and I..."

She took in a deep, shuddering breath and bent her head, blocking Kira from her view. Tears stung the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She couldn't show such weakness in a time like this. It would probably get her locked up again anyway.

"I'm sorry, Kira, I didn't mean that. You were following a captain's orders." There was another silence. Then: "What are you doing here?" She asked halfheartedly.

"…well, Matsumoto asked me to take care of some of the paperwork so they wouldn't have to worry about the simple stuff when they got back…that's what the keys are for..." he trailed off nervously, and if Hinamori hadn't been dwelling so much in self-depression, she would have felt sorry for him and tried to cheer him up. He had lost a captain and role model too, after all.

"Oh." She replied disinterestedly. He inserted the keys in the door and opened the room.

"You can come in if you want." Kira said, opening the doors, and Hinamori looked inside. The room was dark, but from the light filtering through the drawn curtains she could tell the two captain-level shinigami had left in no rush. Everything was in order, just as it always was. Though Matsumoto's couch, where she usually lounged around, looked recently occupied, the wrinkles still there. There was even an empty sake bottle on the coffee table in front of it. It was like she had just left to the bathroom.

But there was no remnant of Hitsugaya at all. His desk was completely clean. The half-empty ink jars he always used were lined up neatly, a few pens next to them, but that was it. Of course, it was just like him to leave everything behind him neat and tidy. No paperwork was strewn over it like it usually was if he was there. There were no random ink stains on the table surface. There was no scratching of pen on paper. And worst of all, there was no white-haired, green-blue-eyed captain sitting on the chair behind it.

"No thank you, Kira." She said. It didn't feel right, walking into this room with no Toshiro in it. It lacked the warmth, or rather, the cool, it usually had with him there. "Well, bye."

And she turned around, lost in thought, mindlessly walking back to the fifth division that was also no longer the same.

**~two weeks later~**

"There she is. I heard she's still working for Aizen."

"I know. Commander Yamamoto should exile her or something."

"No, that's a bit harsh. I kinda feel sorry for her. She's been going through a lot."

"Psh, like what? Now she gets the whole squad to command until a new captain's chosen. Who wouldn't want that?"

"But she still hasn't entered the fifth division barracks yet."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, not once has she entered the fifth division since that traitor fled."

"Seriously? Then what's she doing?"

"Nothing, that's the point!"

"I heard she tried to kill Captain Hitsugaya."

"No way! Who'd want to kill him? He's so sweet! And cute! And young! I don't think anyone's got anything against him."

"You're just saying that cuz he's your captain."

"So what? It doesn't change the rumor that she tried killing him!"

"Yeah, which is why we're saying, she deserves to be kicked out!"

Hinamori hunched her shoulders and pushed ahead. _'Don't think about that. You know it was wrong, and you won't do it again.' _She thought to herself, walking forward. She had been talked about like this behind her back for the last two weeks, ever since she'd been officially let out of the hospital. Some of the things they said had been pretty nasty, but whenever she talked back to defend herself, they'd just sneer at her and turn away, so she stopped doing it. They'd been threatened though, by Kira, and even Yachiru, that if they were to harm her in any way, they'd deal with them.

It had been three weeks since Hitsugaya's departure to the real world, four since Aizen's betrayal. She hadn't talked about either of them since. Heck, she'd barely talked at all. And it was true, she still hadn't entered her division yet. She couldn't take it, not so soon. For the first few days, Kira had tried keeping her company. He'd even sent Hisagi Shuhei and Yachiru to try and cheer her up. She'd forced out smiles, but it was never from the heart. She tried. But she simply wasn't happy. She couldn't remember the last time she hadn't been happy before this whole thing had started.

"…itsugaya said they were called arrancars or something."

Hinamori stopped in front of a doorway where two voices were heard in conversation. For a moment she had thought they were talking about Toshiro.

"Apparently Commander Yamamoto's sent them a tele-broadcaster so they are able to converse directly from here to the human world." Her eyes widened. It was Toshiro. They were talking about him. It had to be him. No one else was in the human world. Who was of any importance anyway.

"Matsumoto sent word that they're setting up the thing right now, and that they'll be in contact with them later tonight or early tomorrow."

"I know! I personally can't wait! Right now we've had nothing happening. Life is so boring, so hopefully, with their report, we can get back in the action!"

"I know what you're saying. But be grateful you're not in the fifth division. I hear it's been so stale over there, with no one taking any form of responsibility whatsoever. So much so that lately that people are considering shifting. If they had a choice on that, that is."

Hinamori continued on, not wanting to hear anymore. She was more focused on the prospect at hand. They had got direct contact with Toshiro? She had to talk with him. The thoughts she would usually vent out to him were clogged in her mind, and she was beginning to crack. She had to talk to him, tell him her theory. She had to show him that Aizen was on their side. If he believed her, life would get so much easier.

She subconsciously straightened, a small smile on her face. And this meant she would put in a greater effort of leading her division. She was the temporary replacement of Aizen, and she would do him proud. She would keep their reputation under control. She would show Toshiro that she was no longer that simple-minded, bed-wetter he used to know. Oh, she couldn't _wait _to talk with him. That is, of course, considering the head captain agreed to her proposition.

"What the hell's she so happy about?"

"Maybe Aizen sent word that he's going to send a couple of Menos Grande to take her to him."

Her smile instantly dropped.

X-X-X-X-X

Hinamori stood nervously behind Commander Yamamoto. His was a presence she could definitely live without. Old and withered with eons of age, he held himself with an aura of superiority. Perhaps this was a good thing, as it allowed him unique control over the entire Soul Society. Of course, this wasn't true if you didn't agree with his decisions. But this aura of his was also intimidating, and whenever he looked at you, it was as if he was unimpressed, as if he thought you were lowly, unworthy and criminal-like. Not only that, but his reiatsu held a fierce burn to it, an uncomfortably high temperature that made you sweat for more than one reason.

He was the exact opposite of Hitsugaya.

Hinamori felt her heart beat faster. She hadn't seen him ever since that night. The night where she had tried to kill him. What would he think of her trying to see him? Would he even want to see her? Probably not. He had trusted her with his whole being, only to have her treat his loyalty like dirt. She closed her eyes. She couldn't think of that now. She had to focus on getting things back the way they were between them.

Suddenly, the large screen turned on, pooling out a blurred signal, which then dimmed down to a steady black. Any second now, and they'd be talking. Hinamori's breath was caught in her throat, and she was greatful now that she wasn't going to be talking to him first. It was probably the only time she had ever felt nervous about speaking to him. She still couldn't believe she'd been given permission to talk with him. Usually someone of her caliber and rank had no authority, and asking something like this of the first captain was truly unheard of. But she'd been pleasantly surprised that he'd let her in, and, even though she found his presence uncomfortable, she was eternally grateful.

"Are you ready?" one of the over-viewers of the screen asked, clearly to the beings on the other 'side' of the screen. Hinamori practically stopped breathing. This was it.

* * *

**So what did you think of that? This chapter was also pretty stale, but this is where the whole Hitsu-Hina thing kicks into play. Now review, so I can put up the next chapter! ^-^**


	4. Interferences

**Thanks so much for the reviews! You all must know how awesome it felt reading them all! And you all gave a well rounded response, so I'm going to take 'em into account, kay? **

**Oh, and huge thanks to Kiba Wolf for all those pointers! You can be my beta or something! So here's the next chappie! (Lol, no, not Chappy the bunny, 'cause then Rukia would take it and destroy me for touching it in the first place... okay, I'm surprised if you're actually reading my nonsense! ^-^)**

**So on with the reading! Be sure to tell me what you think, 'cause this is where the HitsuHina kicks in!**

* * *

Interferences

* * *

"_This is Captain Hitsugaya of Squad 10."_

Hinamori exhaled slowly. His voice was exactly as she remembered it, and yet so different. It seemed more powerful, and more commanding, and it only made her wonder what sort of changes he had gone through.

"Yes sir!" The men replied to the captain who was so much younger than they were. It made Hinamori grin to see them obeying him so unquestioningly. "I'll connect you right away!"

And then his image cleared on the previously blurred monitor. All she could do was let her mouth hang open ever so slightly.

Once again, he had changed so much, and yet not changed at all. His hair was the same, maybe a bit more wild. Yes, maybe it was. His eyes held the same intelligence she was so accustomed to seeing; a knowledge so superior she was afraid to talk lest she say something stupid.

Her eyes drifted over his black shirt, taking in the sight but not computing what it was. And then it clicked. He was wearing human clothes. She swallowed. They suited him wonderfully. How did he manage to retain so … perfect? He was absolutely flawless. And once again, she was grateful she wasn't talking first. Heck, she was grateful she wasn't in vision of the screen, like Matsumoto or that ryoka girl were in his background. A wreck like her talking to a person like him? It was laughable. But she would, anyhow.

The entire time Hinamori barely absorbed any of what they were saying. All she could take in was how much he had changed, how much she hadn't noticed before. How much she had missed him. It was then, seeing him talking on that screen with one of the highest ranking officials in the Seretei, that it fully dawned on her how much he meant to her. Her eyes softened as she continued staring at him. She couldn't wait until she got to talk to him.

Finally, after what seemed like eons of waiting to Hinamori, the conversation drew to a close. She wanted to talk to her best friend already!

"Therefore the decisive battle will be in the winter." The commander told the two present shinigami on the screen. "Until then, polish your skills and make ready for war!"

"Yes sir!" the tenth division commanders chorused. Hinamori took a step forward, hardly able to contain herself.

"As for you Inoue Orihime," Hinamori presumed he was addressing the ryoka girl. Enough already! They knew what to do! "Aizen is after your world. It is possible that we cannot deal with this ourselves. We will need support from the human world as well. So will you please inform Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"Yes sir!" The girl nodded, and immediately left to carry out her order. Hinamori frowned. Again, they were thinking of Aizen as a threat. Well, soon she'd talk to Toshiro, and he'll sort this whole thing out, then everyone will be on their knees, begging for her forgiveness. She smirked rather uncharacteristically.

"Well then, I'll go inform Ikkaku and company. Excuse me, sir." Matsumoto said, turning and Hinamori saw the first division captain nodding. Finally, it was just Toshiro left. Her face softened.

"Yeah, I'll go too…" He started saying. Hinamori's eyes widened. No, he couldn't! Not after she'd waited so long.

"No…" she squeaked out, a little more desperately than she'd wanted.

"Oh, could you wait a moment Captain Hitsugaya?" The old man said, leaving Hinamori to wonder whether he'd heard her, and the young captain immediately halted and turned. "There is someone here who has been waiting a long time for our conversation to be over so she could talk to you. So please," Hinamori stepped into view, eyes soft and yearning to hear him talk to her and her alone. She wished the old man would just leave, she still wasn't feeling one hundred percent comfortable with this. And that in itself was strange. She was always comfortable when talking with Toshiro. His eyes widened as the mechanized screen let their gaze meet, and suddenly, she forgot entirely where she was and who was there. It didn't matter now, because he was looking at her.

"Indulge her for a little while."

But it didn't seem as though Toshiro had heard the last line of the commanding captain. He turned around, fully facing the screen once more, his eyes still wide in shock or concern. And something else reflected in those entrancing orbs that she couldn't quite identify.

"Hinamori…" he said softly, and she relished the sound of him saying her name. It had really been too long.

"Toshiro…" she started rather pitifully, echoing him in a way. She was suddenly completely blank as to what to say to him. It had been nearly a month since she'd last seen him. He'd been through who knows what in that time. And he was so different that she felt rather plain in front of him. What was she to say?

"So, you woke up, eh, Hinamori?" he said, still unsmiling, striking conversation first. Could he sense her discomfort? "Is it okay for you to be walking around?"

Hinamori sighed softly, closing her eyes. Again, he was thinking about her. He was a high-classed, selfless _idiot! _But in truth, even she knew she wasn't okay. People talked behind her back. She was in command of the fifth division for now, and she hadn't once stepped into her barracks since the whole thing started. Because with Aizen gone - she froze at the thought. She was far from okay. She had no one to talk to except Kira, and he wasn't doing so well either. She didn't even have the energy to be nice. But for Toshiro, she supposed she could manage. She forced a smile.

"Yes, I'm all better!"

"…I see…" he said and she knew they were both fully aware of the awkward silence settling between them. She had honestly never felt this way before. It was uncomfortable, and she hated it. He gave her the softest smile she had ever seen, baring his perfect teeth. But it seemed so sad. Like he felt her pain, too. _'He doesn't deserve that.' _she thought. _'He deserves no pain.'_

"I'm sorry." She said, diverting her eyes from his virtual ones. "I'm so sorry, Toshiro. I doubted you…" she took a deep breath as she felt a lump gather in her throat. "And I even pointed my sword at you…I really went off the deep end…" she clamped her hands together tightly, trying to make her words sound as sincere as she felt. "But I truly am-"

"You moron!" Her eyes opened suddenly at the tone of his voice. She looked up hopefully, and sure enough, one hand was fiddling with the hair behind his right ear, and the other was where his haori belt would have been. It was the sign he gave her that he meant what he was saying, even though he was going out of his way to drop the usual serious demeanor he put up in front of everyone else. She smiled. It showed that he was doing this for her, even though he knew the head captain was still somewhere in the room. And he looked absolutely adorable doing so. Like he was a kid; the kid he was supposed to be.

"I never let any of that bother me." He said, his voice with that careful airiness he implanted whenever he tried to block out his sincere tone. He once told her he thought that tone made him look weak. She couldn't disagree more. "And since it doesn't bother me," he continued, eyes closed and voice lazy. "You shouldn't let it bother you."

At those words, for some unknown reason, she felt her spirit lift considerably. It had only been what, two minutes since they'd started talking? And already she felt better. How had she gone so long without him?

"Now hurry up back to bed and get those bags out from under your eyes." Hinamori stiffened self-consciously. He noticed? She felt tears brim her eyes. She had really, _really_ missed him.

"Okay," she sniffled, reaching up to wipe off the drops. It didn't bother her, for some reason, to tear up in front of him. She was so self-conscious, even in front of someone as close as Kira. But with him… "Thank you, Toshiro-"

"Besides," he continued, the airy voice he was using now completely relaxed. "Even if you're not one, you still look like a kid and if you don't sleep more than other people, you won't grow." Her eyes widened. What the heck?

"Look at Matsumoto," he said, pointing over his shoulder, motioning to where his lieutenant had just left. "You'd have to sleep for ten years straight to catch up to her."

Hinamori blushed. How could he say those things so casually? It was just like him! "Sh-Shut up! Rangiku is special!" she shot back in the only defensive way she could think of. "And I don't wanna hear anything about growing from you, Toshiro, because-"

"Hinamori!" he cut across, and she froze. He had never liked it when people hinted at his height. "How many times have I told you? It's not Toshiro. It's Captain Hitsugaya."

And he shot her the first true smile since they'd been talking, albeit, it was small and more smirk-like than anything else. But still, Hinamori smiled back. This was what she'd missed most; those simple conversations where they just talked about anything. Those were when she forgot everything that had been happening. She even forgot about what ranks they were, who they were taking orders from. She remembered the old days, living with his grandmother. It was those times when she completely forgot about Aizen.

But this very thought triggered her to the whole turmoil she had been feeling. She suddenly remembered her captain. She looked up at the white-haired boy on the screen. He wasn't here in the flesh, she was aware of that, the uncomfortable heat in the room a constant reminder. But she had a theory to tell him. And she needed him to back her up.

"Can I ask you something, Toshiro?" she asked, forgetting where she was and what the rest of the Seretei was going through. Right now it was just him and her.

"What?" he asked, nonplussed. She looked away from him, ashamed to bring their playful bickering to a close. It almost felt wrong, bringing this up. But she had to get this off her chest. She needed to lift her load, which was what she needed to talk to him for. Because he was the only one who could help her.

"Are you…going to fight Captain Aizen?" there was a long silence, and she was aware of the gaze everyone in the room had now fixated on her, but none more so than the pair of orbs that had suddenly gone icy, cold and serious.

"…yeah."

"Are you going to kill him?" she continued, wanting to get the subject off of her chest. He didn't reply, and she almost suspected he knew where this was going. He probably didn't like it. But she knew that he was the only one who could help her. "Please. Please save Captain Aizen!" She cried before he could reply. He looked at her with an unreadable expression. Like he was let-down, disappointed. Jealous. But she was probably imagining it.

"…Momo…"

"I know what he's doing isn't right," she said, turning away, not daring to look back at him lest she see that strange expression she had just glimpsed. "But I bet he has a good reason for it." She looked back up hopefully, though still didn't meet his eyes. Everything would be okay, if he agreed, because someone as strong as him on her side will easily be able to help her. "Because I think Ichimaru or someone is forcing him to do it, so…"

Suddenly a hand shot in her line of vision, and once again, she felt her sight of Toshiro blur and finish as someone knocked her unconscious.

* * *

The sky was a dull blue and the clouds were white. But nothing like the hair she loved ruffling oh so much. The buildings were monotonously symmetrical; each no different from the last. Only important buildings were slightly larger, but those resembled each other as well. Her eyes drifted onto a clump of trees. They were green, evergreen, and so always held a rich emerald color that just looked fresh and healthy. But the color paled in comparison to his eyes.

Hinamori sighed, resting her chin on her palm. She was back in the hospital. When she had come to, she had found herself unharmed, but inside a locked room. A room that was white, cold and sterile. A room that had only a bed, table and a cabinet. A room that was so ironically familiar, she had clapped a hand to her face. She was back where she had been two weeks ago.

Unohana had come in again, with that same sympathetic (cunning) smile on her face. Apparently, Captain Yamamoto had knocked Momo out and sent her back here, saying she needed more time to rest, that she was still suffering from delusions. How dare he? He had cut across her precious conversation with Hitsugaya! She didn't even get to say bye to him. Who knows what the Captain had said. Had he told him she was suffering from delusions and hallucinations, like he had everyone else? She didn't doubt it. No one believed her. What would happen now? She couldn't even ask when he'd be coming home. Stupid old man.

She crossed her arms, leaning forward on the window sill and and stared over the expanse of buildings. Lucky for her, the hospital was one of the only buildings that had more than one floor, and she was on the second. She had been placed in this room until the commander thought that she was well enough to be let out. So the door was to be locked at all times. She could make a run for it again, but that would probably make matters worse. She'd be stuck in this room for even longer then.

So to entertain herself, Momo had stared outside the window. But scenery can only entertain you for a few minutes. And it had been three days. Her mind had been flicking all over the place. To the strangest places. First, obviously, it had been all about Aizen. That day of thought had been severely depressing for her. All she could think of was that he would have the done to get her out of this place. He would have come, spoken in that gentle voice, and would somehow have fixed everything. There was no doubt. He would then have opened the door, placed his hand on her head or shoulder, and said 'let's go home, Momo.' And she would have grinned, and they would leave. That was how he was.

Hinamori wanted him back so badly, but obviously non-stop thoughts about anyone were impossible. So she had then lead on to thinking of people she could somehow manage to persuade to understand that Aizen wasn't the bad guy. Kira clearly wasn't an option; any mention of Gin and he'd flip, becoming someone completely different. So that left a precious few people. She was depending on Renji, because he was one of the only few she knew best, along with Kira. Another might be Hisagi, although she doubted it. He'd turned against his own captain, and always said how he'd 'try opening his eyes'. And even a slight _hint _at the name 'Aizen' would make him go off on how that man had single-handedly destroyed the Soul Society's supreme commanding force. So the only person left was Toshiro. Rangiku would no doubt follow his decision.

She really didn't know how he would react. This fact only reminded her of how well she _didn't _know him. She hadn't finished their conversation, so she couldn't know what he'd thought about it. But when she'd mentioned fighting Aizen, she remembered the way his virtual eyes had suddenly hardened and narrowed ever so slightly, suggesting he didn't like even the thought of that man. She could only hope that he would take her side, even if it was just for her. Although that did seem like she was taking advantage of him, using his care for her to do something he probably wouldn't like doing.

These thoughts drifted on, one thought led to another, and now, all she could think about was Toshiro. She thought about all the conversations they would have had up until now had he been here, and she wondered if she'd have felt better than she did these days. He had always managed to lift her spirits one way or the other, and she wondered whether he'd be capable of doing that to her again. Hinamori thought of how much she missed him, what he'd do if he were here, whether he'd come and visit her, whether he'd be busy, or whether he'd be angry. Then those speculations got boring so her mind simply froze on a single image of him, and now, all she could do was compare everything to that image. And she only now realized how imperfect everything was.

A sudden breeze flicked through the air, snapping her out of her drowsy daydreams. It was a strange feeling as well. A cool breeze, that somehow seemed dense, and moved of its own accord. It slowly crept into the room and seemed to latch onto all the furniture. Almost as if it were alive. But it didn't seem intimidating. In fact, Hinamori relished in the feeling of it. It was comforting, different, and almost familiar, like she knew what it was in the back of her mind… Her eyes suddenly widened.

Toshiro.

She knew that feeling. He'd always been unable to block this feeling in their school days, having only just been taught basic shinigami principles, and his reiatsu would spread in the wind. He'd learned to search with it that way. He'd be able to locate people, like her. And now he had gotten so good at it that he could find inanimate objects by just concentrating. But she hardly cared about that. This cool reiatsu creeping in the air around her meant only one thing: he was back.

But as soon as she straightened up, ready to find him, the feeling disappeared. She stood there, frozen. What had just happened? Had he maybe been looking for something and had now found it? Had that reiatsu really been there? Yes, it definitely had, she could still feel the tingling sensations on her skin that the sudden cold had given her. So maybe something had happened to him… she shook her head and stalked up to the door. Either way, she'd find out.

"Hello?" She called through it, feeling extremely self-conscious on how small her voice sounded. "Um…can someone let me out?"

There was no reply. She sighed. Just when she wanted someone to be around they all disappeared. "Hello?" She called out again. Again, no response. She sighed. It was rather stupid of her. She could always see him once she got out. It would only make the light shining at the end of the tunnel seem brighter after such a wait.

"Um… were you calling, Lieutenant Hinamori?"

Hinamori whirled around to see herself facing a 4th division member. What was his name again? Hanoitara? Hanamaru? Hinatarou? Yeah, something like that. Hinamori clasped her hands together.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, hoping that she'd be let out. "Do you think I can leave?"

The brunette nervously scratched his head. "A-actually, I have orders that I'm not supposed to do that. I think you've gotto spend a couple more ….days…in…here?" he drifted off as Hinamori suddenly put on a depressed look. "Um…lieutenant?"

"I-I see…" she trailed waveringly.

"You should…maybe you should get more rest, Lieutenant, ma'am?" the boy suggested nervously. "It can only be for the best right?"

"Yes…I suppose…" she forced her head up and put on a smile. "Thank you for trying to help me."

"No problem…" he said and slowly closed the door behind him.

X-X-X-X-X-X

It was actually another three days before Hinamori was let out. She had absolutely lost her mind during that time. She would spend almost every waking minute in the room staring out the window, hoping to catch a drift of cold reiatsu or a flash of white hair. Of course she didn't see him. He was a captain, and he had far too many responsibilities to be idly walking around the streets. He hadn't had time for that even before the whole ryoka invasion thing, so now, with an apparent war starting, he definitely wouldn't be out and about.

But she still hadn't felt that sensation she had of moving cold. He was back, she was certain now, because that same 4th division member, Hanatarou she learned was his name, had told her he'd seen Renji and Rukia running around all over the place. So they were definitely back, and now, the Soul Society had seemed more lively than it ever had been. She heard more voices in the air, more yells and shouts, more clashes of sword on sword. This was probably the doing of Renji. And Rukia. Perhaps a little help of Matsumoto.

"Lieutenant Hinamori?" a voice asked nervously.

Hinamori sighed, turning towards the door, facing the shy boy who had just entered. "I told you, Hinamori's fine."

"I- I know, but still…" Hanatarou drifted off nervously. "Anyway, I was sent here to say that you're free to go." Her eyes widened. Was he serious? She could finally see them? See him?

Without a second hesitation, she took off, running full throttle to the building's exit. "Wait, Lieutenant Hinamori!"

"Sorry Hanatarou!" She yelled over her shoulder. "And thanks for everything!" She saw him raise a hand in a wave and then she turned a corner. She took the path to the tenth division once again, this time with a large grin plastering her face. She absolutely couldn't wait to see him, in the flesh, again. She wanted to feel that solid platform in her life again. Finally, for the first time in a whole month, she was actually looking forward to something. She was motivated to do something, to go somewhere. And it felt great. She'd forgotten what that was like, the feeling of enthusiasm and adrenaline. Suddenly, she felt like nothing could bring her down.

"Hey Hinamori! Think fast!" Hinamori, and all her positive thoughts, was suddenly sent crashing to the ground with a weight on top of her.

"Rukia! Don't drag poor Hinamori into this!" A familiar voice called. "We already called Kira over!"

"Hey, I need to get training in every moment! And the opportunity was staring me in the face."

"But look at what your stupid zanpakuto did to the walls!"

"My zanpakuto is not stupid, you idiot!"

"Whatever. This is Captain Zaraki's area. You mess up his place and he'll be after your blood. I told you, we've got to have proper training grounds before we start."

"Shut up, Renji! Don't act so mature in front of Momo! You said nothing of the sort!"

"What? Yes I did, I said we could head over to Captain Ukitake's grounds or something."

"What makes you think that those are open to people?"

"Well, you're his current favorite, so why not?"

"I ain't a favorite of nobody, ya hear, dip-wad-ish Bozo?"

"…that didn't make sense, Rukia."

"Yes it did! It's not my fault you're so clueless to human dialect._" _

"Whatever, shrimp. Don't show off about the things you learned from Ichigo that are completely useless in real life."

"Why you-"

"Um, Rukia, could you please get off me?" Hinamori managed, lifting her head off the ground to look up at the girl with midnight black hair.

"Oh right." She said, getting off with that strange neutral expression she usually wore. The other girl got up, wavering slightly, regaining the breath that had been so unceremoniously knocked out of her. Looking over at Rukia, and Renji, Momo suddenly felt shy. Again, it was something she hadn't been for a very long time.

"W-Welcome back, Rukia, Renji." Hinamori said, her voice still wavering from the sudden 'attack'.

"Thanks." Renji said. "How've you been? Life not getting you down is it?"

"No, actually, I'm fine. I'm so happy you guys are back! It was quiet without you, so I was looking forward to when you guys would return."

"I know, right? We so rock the house down!"

"Rukia, I swear, you use another stupid human phrase like that again and I won't help you find Ichigo!"

"So? Who needs your help? I can do just fine on my own!"

"Yeah right! Remember that time you had to go help Yachiru carry stuff around? You were by yourself and insisted you didn't need anyone's help. You were all: 'Oh no! Chappy! He's been squished under the pillow! No, come back to me Chappy! I can't live without – ooof!"

Renji's mock girl voice was cut across as Rukia drove a strong fist into his face, her face heated up. "Shut up you idiot! I told you never to mention that again!"

"Okay guys, it was nice seeing you again, but I've really got to…" Hinamori paused as she eyed the two shinigami in front of her. It didn't look like they even realized she was there. She smiled slightly, then turned around and continued forward. As she moved, the voices of the two old friends grew lower and lower. It was nice seeing them, and that they were well, but she couldn't help the broadening of her smile at that moment. She was almost there; the tenth division was a few turns away.

"Momo, there you are!" she mentally groaned as she turned around to see another old teammate.

"Kira…" she had seriously seen enough of this guy. Honestly, where was he when you _needed _him? That's right, out getting drunk with Matsumoto and Renji. Oblivious to her annoyed thoughts, he stepped forward, fiddling with the hilt of his sword.

"Hey! I've been waiting for you to be let out! I thought you were off yesterday." He said, stopping in front of her.

"Yeah, apparently they forgot." She said sourly. She was really savoring the experience of stretching her legs properly, since that stupid building had held her cooped up for way too long.

"Harsh." He said. He had no idea. "Well, I was on my way to meet up with Renji. Wanna join us?"

"No thanks," she said quickly, starting to walk again. She wanted to get there ASAP. That's what she was running around for in the first place. "I actually just met Renji, and Rukia, so I've done my part. And I wanted to say 'hi' to Rangiku and Toshiro before they think I've forgotten about them."

"Oh, okay…" he trailed off, since she had started again before he had a chance to fully ending his sentence. She had to get there, before someone else interrupted her. She had to see him! Even just a glimpse before the day was over…

"HINAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"

Hinamori felt her eye twitch as she turned around to face the happy-go-lucky vice-captain of the 11th division. "Yes, Yachiru, what is it?"

"Well, me and Nemu-nemu and Nano-Nano were thinking that you're the only one who hasn't joined our females' shinigami association!" She replied happily, grinning broadly.

"Yachiru, you chased me all the way down here so you could tell me that?"

"Yes!" She replied, then opened her large eyes. "Why, is there something else you would rather do?"

"Well, I was actually on my way to see Rangiku and Toshiro but-"

"You were going to see Shorty?" She asked, her mouth shrinking to a confused 'o'. "Why?"

Hinamori blinked. What did she mean 'why'? "Well, because he just came back, and I still haven't said hello to him."

Yachiru quirked her head. "But Shorty's in there." She said, pointing at the nearby building.

"I know." Hinamori quipped, not seeing the point of such an obvious statement.

"And he's not going anywhere."

"I know."

"So there should be no rush to go and see him."

"I-" Hinamori paused. This little girl was actually making sense. _Why _was she in such a rush to go see him? Because he was a good friend? Because she hadn't seen him in so long? Because she had to talk to him? It didn't change the fact that he wasn't going anywhere for a while. He couldn't exactly die, since he already was (sort of), and no one was about to kill him. Even if there was, he could easily protect himself… There really was no valid reason for her to want to see Toshiro so badly. What did that mean?

"Do you like him, Hina?"

Hinamori shot out of her thoughts as the little pinkette shot her the question. "O-of course I like him!" she replied in the only way she knew how to avoid the question. "I mean, I've known him the entire time I've been in Soul Society."

"Uh-uh," the young girl chirped, shaking her head. "I mean do you _like _like him? Like do you love him?"

Hinamori swallowed. "I- uh…"

"I think that's sweet Hina! You should tell him! I can help you if you want!"

"No, I mean, I don't know the answer to that." She cut in quickly. "I mean…I don't really know for sure myself…"

There was a pause when Momo nervously rubbed her arm. Love was so complicated. She knew she loved him, but in what sense, she really didn't know. All she knew was that this feeling was different than what she'd ever felt for Aizen. And that was yet another reason she had to see him: the problem of Aizen.

"Well then I'll help you find out!" Yachiru suddenly exclaimed, and Hinamori jumped a little at being broken out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"Yeah! I'll carry out experiments with the women society and we'll see what we can do! See you around Hina!" Yachiru said happily, and Hinamori was just about to decline that _generous _offer when the little girl flash-stepped away.

"That can't be any good…" Hinamori muttered, turning back to her original route. She reached the front gate of the impressive tenth division structure, but stopped. What was she here for? Did this mean she loved Hitsugaya? But at that thought, she stepped into the perimeter of the area. No, forget about formalities and doubts like that. She was going to see her best friend, no matter what the reason.

Momo knocked on the door, almost wishing no one would open it. What would her reaction be to seeing him after so long? She doubted anything would be the same between them. She could sense it, somehow. Something had changed in her mind where Toshiro was concerned, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

"Come in."

That wasn't a male's voice. She pushed open the door and found herself in the room she was so very familiar with. A few days ago, it had been empty, dark and dull, void of life. Now, the curtains were drawn, chairs were pulled out here and there, and a few objects seemed out of place. It was like someone actually _lived_ here now. And on the couch sat Matsumoto, holding her trademark sake bottle, lazing around as usual. She put two fingers to her forehead in a small wave.

Hinamori grinned at her, then shifted her sights onto the captains' desk. Her smile broadened. The ink jars previously line up neatly were now open, with pens surrounding them, each dripping blue-black ink, staining temporary blotches on the smooth tabletop. Papers were strewn across the surface as well, some splayed over one another, and others stacked up in a messy pile in the corner. But there was still no silver-haired captain sitting on the chair.

"Hey Momo!" Rangiku greeted, not seeming the least bit affected by the alcoholic drink in her hand, even though it was half finished. And Hinamori doubted she'd found it like that. "It's been too long! We missed you!"

"I missed you guys a whole lot too." She relied quietly, meaning it from the heart, her eyes softening at the sight of one of her closest friends.

"So, what are you here for?" The blond continued, swirling the liquid contents of the bottle as she talked.

"To say 'hi'," Momo said, which was half the truth. The fact that she wanted to see a solid, breathing, _real _Toshiro could be left out. "Like you said, it's been so long."

Rangiku shot her a knowing smile. "You're here to see my captain, aren't you?"

Momo blushed. "N-no, not at all, I mean, I wanted to see him too, but he's not only…I mean…I –"

"Well, quit your babbling and think of something to say."

"Huh-?" But before she could get another syllable out, she heard the clearing of a throat behind her, and she turned.

* * *

**And there was my poor excuse for a cliff-hanger. And my exams are starting next week T_T!! So I'm going to be busy. But could you lovely readers give me the same support you did last chapter? I'd be so grateful! Well, I'll see you next time!**


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